The Bible is the Word of God. This the Bible claims. Expressions like "the Lord spake unto Moses" appear hundreds of times in Genesis through Deuteronomy. David's Psalms are famous. David made this claim for his writings, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue" (2 Sam. 23:2). "The word of the Lord came unto . . . ." "Thus saith the Lord . . . ." Such phrases are used over and over by the Old Testament prophets. The writers of the New Testament also claim divine authority. For instance, Paul said he spoke the things of divine wisdom "not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Cor. 2:13). 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God" both Old and New Testaments -that is what the Bible claims for itself (2 Tim. 3:16). To make such a claim, the Bible must be either truly God's Word or else the worst fraud and foulest hoax ever perpetrated. There is no middle ground!

Bible prophecy proves the inspiration of Scripture. Of many examples, Isaiah 53 is perhaps best. About 700 years before Jesus Christ came, Isaiah gave a detailed description of his appearance, character, life, death, burial, and resurrection. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities . . . the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Men cannot see such future events as Isaiah saw without God's help.

Men unaided by God could not have written the Bible-66 separate books written by some 40 different writers generally not knowing each other or living in the same towns. Yet there is perfect unity, harmony, and consistency-one Deity, one story of love, one Savior. Our universe reflects a variety (different planets, creatures, laws, etc.) and harmony-the planets, creatures, laws, etc. are inter-related and work together for the good of each other; this is possible only under the supervising hand of God. Even so, the Bible reflects a variety natural to the personality, times, purpose, and location of the human authors; the harmony of the Bible is possible in these circumstances only under God's direction.

Supporting evidences for the inspiration of the Bible include historical and archaeological evidences. In other words, although the Bible is primarily a religious book and not a history text, still the Bible contradicts no proven historical fact. It is consistent with all proven historical facts. Archaeologists dig up the remains of ancient peoples. Not only is the Bible consistent with all proven archaeological data, it has even been used as a guide to many archaeological sites! If the claim of the Bible to inspiration is true, we would expect just such accuracy in the text.

If man be considered the ultimate producer of the Bible, an inadequate cause is accepted. God is the only possible Adequate Cause for these and other features of the Bible. "To forge the Bible is impossible as to forge a world." Some people object to the idea of God speaking to man in His Word, but there is the evidence. Others object saying the Bible has been used abusively, barbarously, even insanely, so it could not be God's book. But science has been misused monstrously, and we do not discard science; we try harder to use it properly. That's what we should do with God's Word. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

Truth Magazine XIX: 51, pp. 810-811
November 6, 1975